


Parallels of Lobachevsky kind

by Eminda



Series: Improbable, Impossible [1]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Author is still bitter, Civil War Team Iron Man, M/M, Not friendy to Team Cap though I tried to tone it down, Not really Thor friendly, Unreliable Narrator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-23 05:50:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13183668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eminda/pseuds/Eminda
Summary: This fic can't have a summary because autor has emptied her mind.Also, my Frostiron Secret Santa fic that grew too fast





	Parallels of Lobachevsky kind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vivana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vivana/gifts).



> Vivana asked for fluff, but because I'm unable to write without mapping out some background, that backgount took up three quarters of the fic. This is self-indulgence, mostly, I haven't been treating political problems I glossed over as seriously as they warrant, but meh. 
> 
> Lobachevsky developed an angle of parallelism where parallels will meet at some point. I can't think up a decent title on my own so I end up with being pretentious :)  
> I wrote Hildr with Rinko Kikuchi in mind.  
> (Also not a native English speaker and weren't able to get in contact with my beta.)

 

Perhaps it’s appropriate, that for them there is not just a prelude into their partnership, but a whole prelude to a preluding prelude. Tony calls it foreception (in his head only, he’s aware of how that sounds). 

The first introduction, if one doesn’t count the whole New York business (because as it happens being partly mind raped and wholly tortured does alter a personality, surprise), happens indirectly, through Bruce. It goes like this - there are ships above USA, battered and sparkly at the same time. They are also golden, which gives Tony a pretty solid hint about the occupants’ origins. 

Tony tries to weasel out of meeting and greeting yet other aliens, but he receives a call and hears Bruce’s voice and there’s an unmistakable growl of Thor in the background, so Tony buckles up and plasters his happiest persona on. He’s tired. 

 

Thor, short-haired and one-eyed (which gives Tony some serious creeps) gives a disturbingly cheerful salute and makes a move to hug Tony, but the man jerks away and while the As doesn’t notice, Bruce certainly does and dives forward to expertly redirect the god’s attention somewhere else. 

***

It turns out, Asgard is destroyed, it turns out, Thor fucking thought it a great idea to just hop on Earth and settle here, not like there are already a shitton of political problems without extraterrestrial interference. 

It takes approximately two months to decide on the envoys and ambassadors and there is a disturbing number of people willing to dump the newcomers in Antarctica. 

The talks are mostly a public affair, streaming life worldwide, and the more Tony watches, the more tired he feels. There are aspects of Asgardian life he was content to not think about and there are aspects of Thor’s personal history he wishes he never knew. 

Bruce hovers uncertainly in his orbit all the while, a strangely steadfast presence. They are polite and even friendly, but Bruce’s face tightens at the news about Ross and Tony is still selfishly bitter about Banner’s running away. They are able to bond through Peter, the poor kid. Bruce is understandably furious about Peter’s involvement in the Accords debacle and that’s nothing new to feed Tony’s self-loathing so he agrees, vocally and sincerely. It takes Hope and Pepper sitting them down and basically staging an intervention, where Pep is intimidating them into staying put while Hope delicately and ruthlessly manipulates them into  _ talking,  _ talking truth. There are a lot of accusations, guilt and self-degrading to work through, but maybe they’d manage to become friends, for real this time. 

Tony kind of loses track of Asgardian news or whatever and focuses back when FRI notifies him that his name is mentioned in recent discussion. 

 

One of the UN ambassadors, a woman with intent eyes and transparently obligatory smile, speaks. “Your first action after arriving on Earth in 2012 was to attack a native - you hit Doctor Anthony Stark in the chest with your weapon.”

 

It goes downhill from here; humans smell blood and Thor somehow manages to thwart any attempt at diplomacy from his advisors. Then a haughty comment about human constitution, longevity and fragility, all well-known to Aesir due to previous contacts, is made and Tony will be able to remember that moment of stillness, which seems to encompass the whole fucking planet, then everything explodes; the Internet floods with rants, petitions, shouts for arms and - of course - fucking memes, there are rapidly spreading calls for public protests and the Compound is under siege, a rather chaotic siege, because apparently some people came to demand protection and some came for blood, not being able to get to Thor, or maybe just plain afraid. In the middle of it, Her Excellency Enkhtuya Otgonbayar smiles like a particularly well-groomed piranha. 

***

Further negotiating, which grows notably more cold and invasive towards their guests, reveals news that have virtually every human following the news in different states of outraged disbelief. 

Bruce rarely watches the livestream or latest news, but the chaos is so big that he can’t escape and Tony is too curious, has always been, and as much as he’d like to give Bruce space, he fucking can’t help himself. Besides, Hope notes, it’s only a matter of time until Doctor Banner will be prodded for questions more than he is now and with more authority. 

 

Tony tries to weasel out of answering anything, but he’s an Avenger, in some way a UN employee (fancy that) and as was repeatedly mentioned, it’s not the matter of the Avengers anymore, the Aesir presence involves the whole planet. 

He tries not to think about it as he answers rather simple questions, about Thor’s earnest blue eyes and a supernova-like charisma. His input is not as damning as Bruce’s, though, who confirms imperialism using military force, genocide that wiped off an entire planet clean off natives, fascism and enforcing internalized hate. 

Somewhen in the middle an envoy from some-heim appears, acting pointedly polite and dripping venom. 

 

The whole debacle is a chain of explosive stinking news; the extraterrestrial threat is coming, one which apparently scares even the Aesir finest, which is why they didn’t mention a thing before, because humans maybe aren’t ready to face it; Loki the bastard is alive and has been merrily ruling Asgard while Thor was busy playing house. Asgard’s destruction is his fault, big wonder, because he tried to acquire a weapon to face off that ‘Mad Titan’, which  _ is  _ a genuine surprise. How did fucking Loki know about that Mad Titan? Oh, he apparently was tortured and mind-raped, more literally than Tony would like to think of, to act as he did, and still managed to (fuck you) get the throne and weasel out of his unexpected alliance. Why haven’t Earth heard of it sooner? Because, as the Alfr politely explains, the All-Father’s wisdom is infinite, his throne all-seeing, so Loki the Betrayer was sentenced without hearing for life in solitary. 

The Internet is seizuring with contradicting opinions, but very few people actually want such guests for the long stay. No matter, their short stay is already well into the fifth month. Otgonbayar wonders after Asgard’s former king, apparently legitimate, because, she reasons with her cold-blooded smile, the planet needs the input from someone with more knowledge. 

The Aesir are surprisingly neutral or indulgent towards the idea, because it was mostly Thor who was enraged by the deception, Thor and about couple of dozen of high-status warriors, but the general population enjoyed their unexpected peace and ability to talk to non-Aesir friends and relatives freely. 

***

Loki appears surprisingly well-groomed and put together, shortish hair, healthy face colour and unexpectedly sane gaze. He is next to an elfin, pale woman with monolid, eerily mismatched eyes, one black, other almost glowing blue, they take one glance at Otgonbayar and smile identical razor smiles; they are cooperative, quite understanding, it’s fairly repelling to watch. 

 

So while all the Asgardian drama takes place somewhere away from Tony it’s unsurprising that he nearly has a panic attack when FRIDAY informs him that Doctor Banner has a guest with a signature bearing a disturbing similarity to Loki. 

Tony doesn’t want to go anywhere near that smiling bitch, thank you so much, and Bruce is more than able to take care of himself, but it’s his damn place and he’ll go anywhere he likes. 

They are actually talking. Drinking tea and talking, Loki dressed in a British cut suit of metallic bronze. Their discussion revolves around the possibility of building some magical well on Earth and the properties of unstable chemicals in low gravity environment. 

“Isn’t it fancy.” Tony drawls, trying to mask his upcoming panic attack (fuck, he has magic, he nearly decapitated Strange last week when Sorcerer Supreme decided to take on Loki’s invitation to a duel; Alfar are still indignant over Earth gauging their magic abilities of one encounter with a half-dead mage under duress). 

Bruce looks slightly guilty but Loki, of course, only stares at the newcomer with cool eyes, torso turned into a predatory yet debonair position over the armchair’s back. “Hello, Stark. Banner and me have some unfinished topics to discuss. You may join, genius inventor.” 

Impossibly, Loki manages to convey both respect and mockery in his address, and promptly turns back to his interlocutor. 

Tony fucking knows a bait when he hears one, which doesn’t fucking matter because Loki is an asshole and deserves Tony’s worst people skills. 

Tony Stark begins their first conversation fully intentioning to be the most aggravating douche, half of Earth is sure that one of his doctorates ison  that anyway. Tony Stark finds himself four hours later explaining advanced physics, because as much as Loki can keep up with both scientists, he can’t often properly explain himself simply because of different terms. 

It’s fucking  _ miraculous _ ; for the first time in months Tony doesn’t feel anything but this slightly giddy goosebump-thing when your brain is working but not hyper-driving. Loki absorbs anything new like a fucking sponge, sometimes arriving to logical, science-proven conclusions sooner that they are usually explained in standard uni courses. He also gives as good as he gets, never missing an opportunity to snipe at Tony or Bruce, what the fuck. 

Rather soon in Tony’s estimation Bruce begins yawning and Loki skillfully wraps up their discussion and excuses himself, disappears in a whisper of wind. 

It’s probably telling something about him, that the most interesting and guilt-free discussion Tony’s had for the last year or so is with a person who nearly choked him and threw out of the window. 

 

It’s only the first of their science-space-customs-childcare (poor Peter, too many people like him) talks, Loki talks to Bruce and talks to Tony and somehow strikes a friendship with Hope and then Pepper and Tony is completely blindsided by the fact until he sees Ms Van Dyne in a glowing - literally glowing - shawl and she waves it off as a gift ‘from a mutual friend’. It’s very easy, really, to come to a logical conclusion about the identity of that person, especially when Loki shows up, makes a markedly ridiculous compliment and delves into a heated discussion of diplomatic talks and politics, nuances of wrangling the board into doing what you need them to do, and along that point they disappear to bounce ideas off Pepper and that’s how Tony learns that apparently his on-and-off science buddy is a part of Triumvirate of Doom, because he’s reasonably sure nothing these three want could be kept from them. 

***

Loki is surprisingly considerate; it sometimes gives him added ammunition when he wants to hurt. It’s after three months that he looks at Tony, serious and solemn, and says. “You need to get used to me using magic around you, Stark. The Titan will exploit every weakness he can find, and that one is glaring.” After that he bluntly and elegantly (Loki is a baffling being) returns to their previous topic and leaves afterwards, Tony stewing over his words. Tony hasn’t noticed that Loki rarely uses it - he usually shows somewhere else and proceeds to find whomever he is in the mood of talking to. Tony asks Pepper and she tells with a slightly childlike glee that Loki never misses an opportunity to show off and impress his audience, even if his spells are, as he tells it himself, ‘apprentice level’. Tony would like to be angry about it, about  _ coddling _ , but either he’s finally grown somewhat, or his petulance was beaten out of him; he’s only grateful, strangely touched by this thoughtful, thorough gesture. 

 

Later that week Loki accompanies Pepper to a charity ball, dressed into a ridiculous golden-and-pearl three-piece that he pulls off; the donations go through the roof. 

***  
  


Tony narrows his eyes as Loki enters, still discussing something-or-other with Friday; he’s eerily good with women, just recently he was spotted conversing animatedly with Her Excellency and looking, for all intents and purposes, like a couple of old friends. He’s also warm with Hildr and Brunhildr, Thor’s scary and also often drunk companion. Tony narrows his eyes at Loki and smirks at the raised eyebrow. 

“I think,” he says, scared but intrigued, like he’s about to do an experiment which is as likely to dismember his as it is to make a Nobel-worthy breakthrough, “it’s time we move from theories.” 

Loki looks suitably intrigued and then boyishly joyful when he enters the workshop. He’s careful, which shouldn’t surprise Tony, probably, but it still does, there is something  _ experienced  _ in the way Loki treats his tools, his bots, like he completely understands what this place means for Tony, what is a  _ sanctuary. _

Tony is not the subtlest of people, at least outside boring business small talk, so he waits a little, then just asks, nodding at Loki creating semi-transparent balls of light for DUM-E to catch (it gives him fucking creeps, but he needs to get over it, so he does). “And what sort of helper did you have?”

Loki gives a minute pause, maybe a twitch and his face settles in something bitter. “Fenrir.” He says, the word loaded with too much. “Contrary to your lore, I made him myself, shaped with my bare hands and seidr, then invited an inquiring spirit and taught him.” There is too much painful, yearning sadness in the way he twists his fingers and makes the balls material. The bot chirps with triumph as one of them settles into his hand. “He was strong, fast, clever. But there is no match for the great Mjolnir, especially cheap tricks.”

Tony blinks and looks down; it’s as surprising as it is in character. He is not sure, though, that he needs those weeks which almost destroyed his image of Thor. 

“My workroom was confiscated and purified after the sentencing.” Loki goes on, strangely more cheerful. “But what does it matter now? Asgard’s library is lost, whatever we managed to salvate belongs to Alfheim now, not that it ever mattered to the Aesir.” He finishes with a sneer. 

Tony absorbs the news and lets it go, every time he learns something about Asgard it gives him more headache. 

 

He’s faster to trust Loki, as it turns out, than his magic, even though the mage is careful enough to keep his spells from manifesting anywhere near Tony. It’s frustrating, even though nobody comments on his edginess or random excuses to walk away if Loki shows something. It helps that the mage is not unwilling to explain the workings, although there are things he struggles with, Tony suspects for him it’s like explaining a couple of added dimensions, which makes his trying more admirable and somewhat endearing. 

“I don’t know, Stark!” Loki huffs one evening, hands twitching with irritation. “It’s just like added mass is conversed through natural seidr! Not every shapechanger is a seidr master!  _ I  _ prefer not to overanalyze the process lest I get stuck in between.” 

Tony exhales and blinks, processing. “Wait, are you saying you’re what, a shapeshifter?” 

“That’s exactly who I am.” Loki purses his lips and becomes a blonde woman, then a bear, then a snake then something feline then morphs back to Loki. 

Tony stares. 

“What the fuck.” He says at last when Loki’s expression comes dangerously close to bitter anger, and dives forward to poke at the mage. 

“What are you doing, Stark?” Loki asks carefully, one second from exploding. 

“What the fuck, how the fuck didn’t I know about it, do that again!” Tony fires off and adds at the sight of narrowed green eyes. “Please?”

Loki huffs, then gives a smirk and shifts into Pepper, smart blouse, court shoes and all. 

Tony pouts. “Not fair, I’d never poke Pep!” 

In reply Loki-Pepper pokes him, a familiar jab of pointy finger, then grabs his nose and Tony jums back, crying out in indignation. Pepper briefly sparkles and there’s Hope standing next to her and giving Tony an unimpressed eyebrow. “Is that necessary?” She asks, head tilted, and steps closer to Tony to lead him to his chair, the hand is warm and solid on his forearm. 

“You need to eat.” Pep’s voice says and Tony, who’s not completely gone, despite his eyes warring with his brain, gives the mage a dirty look. “Stop it, you fucker, change back.” 

“Oh, well.” ‘Pepper’ says, obediently morphing. “If you insist.” ‘Hope’ continues, the hand going heavy and cool, Tony  _ feels  _ it, the change and for the first time ever he’s more giddy with excitement and curiosity than scared. 

Both Lokis look at him, eerily identical and coordinated, even if their gestures don’t match and then the one further dissipates. Tony yelps and looks up, startled. 

“What the fuck,” he says  _ again _ “I thought that one was the original!” 

Loki hums and smiles. “I might or might not have shifted during one of the shapechangings.” 

It takes Tony a second to realize that Loki calls his transportation ‘placeshifting’ or just ‘shifting’ and he huffs and attacks his guest with questions. If Loki is surprised by his acceptance or boldness, he graciously doesn’t show it. 

***

T’Challa suddenly surfaces about month after that, just as Tony is getting comfortable with the thought that his heavy flirting is much more serious than he himself thought. 

The fact that he housed Steve and Co is not surprising, because while Vacandan coding and security may be something unheard of, that’s exactly the thing that led to the one logical conclusion. However, the demands voiced have Loki laughing in fits, publically, on livestream with his BBF Hildr from Burj-Al-Arab (Tony is still uncertain what is the stance of UAE regarding people proclaiming themselves gods). He is being interviewed by a shrewd-looking Korean reporter and the whole thing is online for added questions. Tony is watching this because Peter is, and somehow the kid decided that it would be interesting (it is, Loki is as much a little shit as he is an eldritch horror and he snaps at the question of his ‘humanity’; “I’m not human,” he sighs, “biologically as well as by upbringing, my brain is chemically different, so your charmingly egocentric question is wrongly worded.” Then he turns to the reporter. “I thought the people of Earth are fighting for equality, are they denying the right for different races to have values different from theirs?). The interesting, really interesting thing happens about an hour in; the reporter looks to her side and her face gives a brief twitch. Then, she delivers the news - the missing Avengers (Ex-vengers, by unexpected Iron Man supporters) are coming out of their hiding in Wakanda. With statements, apparently, about half of them about Loki. Tony is saved from hyperventilating by watching Loki  _ laugh _ , loud and cheerful, unashamed in front of the camera. He wipes the involuntary tears and freely admits that the whole debacle is amusing to him, yes, yes, he is disappointed a little that a group he schemed so hard to get together is so easy to dissolve, but judging by SHIELD’s stupidity he is not surprised. What stupidity? Well, just the fact that even in Asgard their troop leaders were raising brows at Loki’s tactics and kill numbers, here on Earth militaries were baffled over it and raising questions (they were, Tony recalls, there were in fact hundreds of questions on the Chitauri invasion and Loki’s leading skills), but SHIELD didn’t ask, although, with Natasha Romanoff as their profiler isn’t it logical? After all, she wasn’t able to ferret out those Hydra operatives.  She was trained to be an assassin, wasn’t she? Ah, yes, she was. How was it possible for her to switch sides? Midgard is so peculiar; it makes much more sense for her to be a double agent, her actions led right to SHIELD being dissolved. Then Hildr adds, nodding, that as far as she understands human technology, unveiling so much information about all the operatives can be quite harmful to the loyal ones as well. She has read that torture is still active among human society, she wonders at the number lost because of that action. The transparent sidebar triples in speed with questions and opinions. Loki nods, his expressions pensive. The difference in culture is shocking, he states, in Asgard such treason is a major crime. But then again, as far as he is informed, fascism is also a crime in a number of countries yet Steve Rogers invited a woman who had willingly joined a fascist organization to the group operating on the US soil, he knows too little to judge. Hildr cocks her head to the side and they delve into discussion of post-battle rehabilitations and pre-battle checks, which Hildr elegantly wraps up with addressing the room in general, as if she just needs the clarification. “Was Steve Rogers even battle-trained? I can’t recall, if he wasn’t his actions are unsurprising.” 

Tony kinda zooms out after that because there, on stream two aliens has just repeated what Pep and Rhodey has been telling him  _ for months _ . And while Loki’s convoluted thinking process and the very nature may lead him to saying whatever, Hildr has given Tony an impression of someone unafraid of speaking their mind. 

The Internet, as Peter immediately shows Tony,  _ loves  _ it. There are no really neutral opinions on Loki, some people hate him with passion, some love. A lot of them are appalled at the Asgardian views of justice and parental abuse. Loki is still someone interesting, Tumblr fucking floods with reaction gifs after any new video (one was homemade by Hildr with a fucking hashtag on a fucking Twitter where they both have fucking verified accounts; the hashtag was ‘getting acquainted with technology’). Right now Tumblr is spamming images of Loki shrugging, Loki and Hildr looking at each other with exasperation with captions like  _ ‘Midgard is so peculiar’  _ and  _ ‘They had one job’ _ and  _ ‘We use logic, why are they asking us?’ _

It helps, a little. Helps with the knowledge that inevitably he will be meeting those people again, even though he can’t fucking look at Steve’s photo without panic seeping in. 

Loki shows up that evening, with Pepper in tow, she looks a little green, because apparently teleportation doesn’t agree with people even when Loki is tempering the after effects down. Despite Pep’s watchful, understanding eyes Loki’s almost rude demand for conversation helps more. To divert attention, Tony asks what phones are Loki and Hildr using and Loki, of course, smiles like the bastard that he is and shows Tony fucking Stark a fucking Lenovo phone. 

“This, this is what finally gives me a heart attack.” Tony declares, stepping away from the thing with dramatical disgust. “Why do you hate me so much?” 

Loki pouts and Pepper huffs and somehow they completely skip over the current news and begin discussing internet trends and gadgets. 

 

It stops working, though, after they leave. Tony locks himself in his workshop and tries to ward the thoughts away by setting the music as high as possible and diving waist-deep into the bowels of the newest suit. Sometime after his eyes has long started feeling sand-filled the music slowly quiets until he lifts his head in irritation. “Hey!” Then he hears knocking. 

Loki stands, amused eyes and irritated set of lips, outside the door. Then he  _ steps through the wall  _ and the music turns off completely. “Don’t shout at the girl, it was me spelling the air inside silent. Now please type the command to turn that howling off. I was asked to manhandle you into eating and sleeping and favours from Lady Pepper and Lady Hope are overweighting your irritability. 

Yeah, that sounds solid, Tony thinks and sighs. He obediently sins FRI to turn the music off, because he’s awesome and knows ASL, that’s why, and Loki literally lifts a finger, then nods respectfully. “Again, my apologies.”

“No worries.” FRI replies, maybe a tad too accepting. 

“You are a shameless sucker up.” Tony declares as Loki points him towards the door. 

“The girl is unable of harmful deception and her goals are not destructive, I’m simply treating her as such.”

Sucker up, Tony thinks, because he’s sure if FRI was corporeal she would giggle. As such, she just chirps a notably lighter thank you and leaves Tony to face Bruce and Hildr, who looks at him with interest but without judgement, Tony fucking likes that woman. 

“You will eat and you will sleep and then you will walk outside and get a lungful of fresh air.” She sentences with a regal air. Tony laughs at her but obeys. It helps that Loki and her are eating too, not caring about Tony’s appalling table manners or his mad appearance. It’s horrible, but Tony can’t remember how he fell asleep and  _ when _ , it wouldn’t be exactly surprising if he managed to conk out right at the table. 

FRIDAY helpfully informs him that Mr Skytraveler is waiting on the balcony. To be contrary, Tony takes a long shower, drinks three cups of coffee and orders food, because while he doesn’t want to eat Loki is never above it, then goes out to learn that apparently the mage waved himself a reclined sitting thing to read and a floating table to keep his fancy and freaky steaming shit on. 

“Ah,” he greets, eyes snapping to Tony, “you’ve finished stalling. Let’s go, then.” At Tony’s bafflement Loki purses his lips. “Hildr told you you’d walk outside. We walk outside.” 

“Yeah, no, not my piece of cake, sweetie, besides, I ordered food.” 

“Hildr will help herself with that.” Loki declares and rises with abhorrent elegance, then he sobers up and looks Tony dead in the eye. “Sometimes you do what you must.” 

His hand is unexpected, cold and heavy on Tony’s shoulder as he’s led to the elevator. “I’m going to use seidr so that you - and me, for that matter - will appear as someone completely different to the people on the streets and to their cameras. I think it would be safer.” Tony makes a sound not unlike a confused gurgle and stops protesting. He thinks it strange that he’s unafraid and he also thinks it wildly inappropriate to be suddenly turned on. Loki sniffs, gives him a suspicious glance but lets it slide (shit, fuck, doesn’t those aliens have like, bloodhound sense of smell, fuck why is  _ that  _ also hot?). 

“Boss.” FRIDAY speaks with endearing uncertainty. “You don’t look like you.” 

“Yeah?” Tony cocks his head, glad to be startled away from his thoughts. “What do I look like? What do other sensors pick up?” He doesn’t feel a  _ thing _ . 

“You look generic.” FRI provides helpfully, sassy girl. “And your readings are steadily modified to that of a different person. Mr Skytraveler’s as well.”

Loki, who to Tony looks like the smug shit that he usually is, gives a haughty look and steps out of the elevator. 

Nobody looks at them - not in the Tower, not on the streets. A barista smiles at them, but aside from that, there are no pointed fingers, shouts, whispers and camera flashes. Loki is watching people, his face always softening at the sight of children or a shaggy dog. They go into an open cafe and a mongrel nearby immediately trots to their table, blinding eyes turned up with hope. Loki bravely puts his very white hand on dark, oily and probably flea-ridden fur and strokes the dog tenderly. The gesture and the mage’s sad, careful eyes make Tony’s chest constrict and swell at the same time. Seidr, dimmed down and probably masked to the general populace, wipes the cataract away and cleans the mangled coat and as a gesture of gratitude the dog leaps at Loki, bumps his elbow with the forehead and the harried waitress, who’s just arrived apologises with embarrassment then blinks, confused, at the very young-looking dog. 

“Can’t control my powers.” Loki explains with such breathtaking confusion and meekness that even  _ Tony  _ is touched. Well, he is touched, just not by that act. 

They make an order, the waitress bravely smiling at them, even though there was a moment of instinctual fear in the beginning. 

“That’s nice.” Tony tries to start, lamely, and cringes at himself. 

“I’ve always liked people watching. It’s a lot more genuine in disguise.” Loki hums, still stroking the happily panting dog. 

“Yeah, well.” Then, because as stated he is not very subtle and screw that anyway, Tony smirks. “Nice dig at Natasha. Paid her back for playing you.” 

“You are baffling.” Loki gives him an unimpressed stare. “How would I have known about Doctor Banner? At the moment of my arrival Romanoff wasn’t even ordered after him, so while Barton speculated about it, he had no real proof to give me facts. No, she assumed, went with her assumption and decided to gloat instead of working towards more information. She was also extremely heavy-handed in her tactics. I think she was too often set after a particular kind of people, mostly men, and lost her versatility.”

Tony smirks again, his chest easing even more. 

“Wouldn’t it be nice?” Loki muses, his fingers tracing his tall glass obscenely. Tony is fairly sure he does that on purpose. “I’ve almost agreed to be a UN consultant on extraterrestrial magic, and seeing as Maximoff’s powers are linked to the Mind Gem I think it would only be logical to be present.” He gives Tony a promising smile. “Nice and  _ interesting _ .” 

Tony can’t help it, he smiles and smiles and makes an innuendo and if they arrive to the Tower with their personal space almost nonexistent he is the opposite of complaining. 

If a week later he fails at subtlety to weasel out another incognito walk it doesn’t mean he fails at  _ getting it _ . Loki is again thoughtful enough to bring cash. 

“Your attempts at decoy are appalling.” Loki sighs. He is elegant and drunk, having received Drokkalfar ale a day before and keeping the bottle with him.

“Wait for me attempting to actually ask you out.” Tony quips back, bold enough only because of that freaky ale actually being able to hammer Tony Stark. 

“Yes, well.” Loki sighs. “That’s why I acted first, didn’t I?”

Tony blinks at him, smiles (he smiles so fucking much around Loki, how is that possible anymore) and says cockily. “I’m never subtle about physical contact, though.” 

Loki’s eyes brighten up with challenge and it doesn’t register which one moves first. Being thrown out for public indecency does. It’s not the first for Tony and he takes pride in sullying even his incognito persona. He has a great partner in crime. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Because I spent roughly two weeks thinking it through I know it's kinda raw. But I like the idea, Vivana, hope you enjoyed it ;)


End file.
